Days Go By
by dreamgoddess'92
Summary: Sequel to "Family Dynamics" Emily and Hotch test out the new waters of their relationship while trying to navigate through the challenges that life throws at them.
1. Working Week

Hey everyone, sorry it's taken me so long to post this chapter. I guess if you want to blame anyone you can blame my teachers. *laugh* I enjoy being a senior in high school and all, but it's so taxing. Anyways, I will try to get at least two more chapters up by Sunday as well as two other oneshots that came to me the other day. Good thing I have like no homework.

I'm so glad Hotch is staying on the team btw, I didn't really think he'd retire though. I mean come one, it's Hotch we're talking about here. I cried a little when watching Haley's funeral. Oh and next weeks episode looks epic. Seriously, he just buries Haley and then Emily gets in a freaking car accident. What the hell? *sigh*

I do not own Criminal Minds (if I did we all know Emily and Hotch would've been together ages ago.)

Please enjoy&review (it would make me very happy)

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_Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love._

~Albert Einstein

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Emily hadn't felt so at peace in days.

She was stirring the pasta on the stove when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her closer to the warm body they were attached to. Emily smiled and let her other hand rest on her captor's arms as she leaned back into his solid frame. She sighed contently as she felt a kiss on her neck. It was bliss being able to touch each other after so long.

Well five days wasn't very long, but when you had to constantly fight the temptation to shower your boss with affection in the middle of a case time certainly dragged its feet. Almost a week had passed since their relationship officially began and in that week Emily and Hotch were give no time to truly enjoy it.

Emily ended up staying the night that Saturday enclosed in Hotch's secure embrace on the couch. They fell asleep to some movie on the T.V. Emily would never forget the smug-like expression on Jack's face when he woke them up the next morning. Together they spent Sunday indoors, playing games and watching movies. Emily and Hotch both agreed to let some time go by before breaching the subject of their new relationship status with Jack and the team. Besides, that was one of the perks of having a relationship that could potentially ruin their career; there was no rush to tell anyone.

Unfortunately, the second Emily and Hotch set off in the office Monday morning JJ fell upon them with a nasty case in Ohio. Emily and Hotch were running late so everyone else was already in the conference room. Ignoring the questioning stares they received, Emily and Hotch immediately slipped into their professional skins and effortlessly jumped into the case.

Emily brushed off Morgan's insinuating remarks after Hotch dismissed the team to pack up and rolled her eyes at Hotch before she left his line of sight. That was what their relationship had been confined to during the case: Stolen looks and the occasional well-placed touches. Now that they were working, Emily filed her feelings for Hotch away in a little box and pushed it towards the back of her mind. If they were going to make this work they had to prove to the team, as well as themselves, that they could remain professional and not let their emotions reek havoc with their ability to compartmentalize.

Emily would admit it was a difficult task. He made it even harder when he stood so close to her. She couldn't count the times that they almost slipped up. Unluckily for them, Dave managed to catch on to the faint hint of change in their behavior. It was hard for the older profiler not to smile his I-knew-it-all-along smile when he saw Emily and Hotch working together. They might as well have been wearing a neon sign as far as Dave was concerned. He contained his smugness, for Emily's sake, and was very well behaved. He figured they'd tell the team when they felt the time was right, or when they got caught: Whichever came first.

The case had been a long one and Emily was relived when the unsub was finally taken down by Morgan, who was obviously glad to have the ability to tackle people once more without waiting for backup. Hotch didn't even reprimand him because he remembered the thrill he felt when he was in Morgan's shoes not too long ago. They were able to fly back home Friday and were greeted by the familiar sight of an excited Jack and a joyous Garcia. After settling in, the team tackled some paperwork until their eyes literally wouldn't stay open. Reid was dozing off when Hotch came down to tell the others to go home. He was quite anxious to get home as well.

Morgan was chatting with Emily and Jack, who was sitting comfortably in her lap. Hotch's met Emily's eyes once she turned away from Morgan and he could feel his professional mask slipping off his face. Her eyes reflected the need he felt so desperately inside and he knew how hard it had been for her during the case to hide something she felt so strongly. He had fought fairly hard himself to resist the urge to bury his hands in her dark hair on the occasions that she sat so close to him. He needed to get her home as soon as humanly possible; for both of their sakes.

"Can we go home now Daddy?" Jack asked sweetly as he looked up at Hotch.

"I second his question," Morgan said, "minus the 'daddy' part," he laughed seeing the look Hotch shot him.

Emily chuckled, reached over, and threw her pen at Reid who jerked awake mumbling incoherent apologies. Hotch smiled faintly as Reid looked down embarrassed. He felt sympathy for the young agent and decided that he'd spare them any more torture. "Yes we all can go home Buddy." Hotch said watching as Morgan and JJ, who seemed to appear out of thin air, rushed to the door: Garcia was not far behind. Emily was packing up when Dave said his goodbyes and Reid, after ruffling Jack's hair, followed suit. It seemed like everyone was in a hurry to get home tonight. Not wanting to look too suspicious, Emily and Hotch came in different cars and parked a ways away from each other. They both knew that Emily would be coming over to Hotch's once she slipped into something more comfortable.

Emily had already assured Jack that she's be coming over for diner so he wasn't upset when they parted ways for the time being. Emily was able to let her hand brush Hotch's lightly as she walked past him, which caused identical grins to light up their faces.

Sure enough it didn't take Emily much time before she was knocking on Hotch's door then pulled into his apartment and attacked with a flurry of teasing kisses that Hotch had been holding back for days. It was a nice way to be greeted Emily had to admit: One she could get use to.

"Where are you?" Hotch asked softly, bringing Emily back from her mind's wanderings. She laughed as he nuzzled her neck affectionately and couldn't help but feel very lucky to witness his softer side. "I'm just thinking about how we've got out work cut out for us." Emily said truthfully knowing full well that Hotch had thought about the same thing once or twice during the case.

Hotch stiffened at her words and put some space between them. "Are you having doubts?" Hotch asked suddenly overcome with a bought of insecurity and quickly he tried to put his shields back up before Emily could catch onto his hurt tone. He felt his cold and clinical side take over as Emily turned around to face him, her face incredulous.

"Of course not Aaron. I'm just saying it's going to be tricky especially if we continue to slip up a little. We are working with profilers after all, it's a miracle that they haven't picked up on it yet. They will though…" Emily let her voice trail off as she saw his eyes soften. She certainly hadn't meant to upset him. She knew that he hid his uncertainties and weakness very well and it was obvious to Emily in that moment how much she could hurt him if she wasn't careful. That thought alone made Emily shudder in horror, she'd never do something to hurt him intentionally. Emily grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards her, missing the proximity of his body.

"Plus you know how Dave and JJ are. They're pretty much convinced if you so much as hand me a file, we must be engaged." Emily said lightly remembering the looks they had tossed her way during the case. Hotch smiled and followed her pulling force back towards her body where he really wanted to be. Emily knew Emily was right and he felt a little guilty for overreacting, if you could call his reaction overreacting. Emily had already spent a great effort convincing Hotch that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and as Hotch kissed her forehead Hotch realized he wouldn't have it any other way.

Emily wrapped her arms around his body and hid her face in his chest, feeling it rise and lower with each breath he took. Emily couldn't deny that being so close to him made her feel as if nothing could ever go wrong.

"Hey Emmy is dinner almost done?" Jack's voice broke through the little bubble Hotch and Emily had created in the kitchen. Emily and Hotch reluctantly broke apart, smiling at each other, and Emily turned to face the little boy who was just now walking into the room.

"Yes sweetie, you and Daddy go sit down and I'll bring out your bowls." Emily replied before Hotch could get the bowls down from the shelf.

"Kay! Come on Daddy." Jack said grabbing Hotch's hand and dragging him out of the kitchen. Hotch laughed and followed his son into the dining room. Emily quickly finished preparing the pasta and hurried out to eat with her favorite men and found herself wanting their nightly rituals to become a permanent series of events in her life. Until then though, Emily found it easy to be content with everything knowing full well that one day there would be more to them than evening meals and park visits on the weekends. Just give it time.

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So, I'm still brainstorming ideas for this story...so I'm enlisting your help. I would love it if you all could give me ideas. I've had a few about knocking Emily up, so maybe that could happen. Depends on what you all think. Honestly, I'm gonna wing it. *laugh*

I hope you all enjoyed my first chapter, I'm not sure how long this story will be, so enjoy the delicious ambiguity of this story.

Peace out.


	2. A Forgotten Anniversary

Hey everyone.

I do plan on posting the third chapter of this story up tonight because it picks up right where this one left off practically. I had some technical difficulties with my computer so I had intended on posting this a lot earlier today, but I had to start using a new computer so I don't have any of my old documents on this new one. Not to mention this isn't technically my computer, I'll have to get a new one (a permanent one for me) at a later date. So today's been a mess, and I haven't done any homework-thank God for study halls.

This idea came to me last night. Honestly Demonology and Minimal Loss are my two favorite season 4 episodes. I find it peculiar that no one writes anything dealing with after Demonology, especially because Emily and Hotch had some issues in that episode. So I thought, this would be perfect for a chapter! So please enjoy and review.

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_Time is a physician that heals every grief._

_~Diphilus_

Hotch had a sinking feeling that he had screwed up royally. Problem was, he hadn't the slightest idea what he had done or had failed to do.

It started Wednesday night. Hotch had invited Emily over for diner with him and Jack, but surprisingly she had refused. She said she hadn't been feeling to well and she didn't want to risk getting Jack sick. She had no desire to see the little boy sick once more any time soon. Hotch noticed how she looked a little paler than usual and agreed. He told her to go home and rest and if she wasn't feeling better tomorrow to just stay at in. He certainly wasn't going to begrudge her a sick day when all the team had been doing lately was paperwork.

Emily had kissed him on the cheek, carefully looking around for any overseers even though they were in the shadows of the parking garage. He smiled at her, but noticed how her eyes seemed a little duller than usual. It disconcerted him. He told her to call him if she needed anything. She said she would. She never did.

Hotch had tried not to be too concerned, but he couldn't help himself. Since their relationship bloomed about a month ago, Hotch had become hyper vigilant of Emily's well being. Hotch didn't get much sleep that night, nor did Jack. He had been expecting Emmy to come over and was fairly obvious in his disappointment when his Daddy told him she wouldn't be able to make it for diner. He pouted the entire was home from his aunt Jessica's and ran to his room as soon as Hotch opened the apartment door. Hotch wasn't sure what to say to comfort his son, but he did a good job of distracting him from Emily's absence.

Together father and son fell asleep on the couch watching an old back and white movie.

The next morning Hotch took Jack into work so the little boy would have the chance to see Emily, that and Jessica had to work so he'd let Garcia watch over him. When Jack caught sight of Emily he broke away from his Daddy and ran at her like a torpedo in the water.

Emily turned just in time to swoop the little boy into her arms and hug him tightly. Dave, who had been talking to Emily as Hotch and Jack entered the building, smiled softly at them and patted Emily's shoulder reassuringly. Emily thanked Dave quietly and Hotch saw him shake his head, conveying without words how she needn't thank him. Hotch was curious as to their conversation he missed, but brushed it off assuming whatever it was Emily would confide in him sooner or later.

Emily kissed Jack's cheek and put him back on the ground as Hotch approached. "Still not feeling too well?" he asked, noting her pallor and circles under her eyes. Emily shrugged.

"I've been better, but I didn't want to stay home," she said honestly. Jack looked at Emily worriedly.

"Are you sick Emmy?" he asked, remembering how unpleasant it had been for him when he had his stomach bug a while ago. Emily looked at Jack and shook her head. "No sweetie, I'm not sick." Emily promised, squeezing his hand that had reached out for hers. Hotch pondered what was bothering Emily when Garcia marched up.

"Come on mini-Hotch, let's let the grown-ups do their thing. I have a new movie for you to enjoy…" she trailed off seeing how Jack's eyes lit up at her news. Jack hugged Emily and Hotch once more before taking off for Garcia's dungeon excitedly. Emily and Hotch chuckled fondly at the little boy. Hotch looked back at Emily and saw the shadows lurking in her eyes. Before he could say anything though JJ approached, case files in hand.

"Hey, I have a few files I'd like you to look over. They're potentials, but I want your opinion," she said handing them to Hotch who extended his hand automatically. He leafed through the first once quickly, already building a profile in his head.

"I'll get right on it, thank you JJ." Hotch said glancing once more at Emily then turned to go to his office. As he sat down at his desk he saw JJ pat Emily's shoulder tenderly and say a few words to her friend before heading back to her own office. Emily managed a smile, and then buried her head in her own pile of files. Apparently Hotch wasn't the only one to notice something was off with Emily. He wondered what it was.

The morning passed by uneventful. Hotch was able to find one case out of the five JJ had given him that he thought deserved their attention. He'd present it to JJ and maybe they'd head out tomorrow. He'd have to talk to Jessica tonight if that was the case. Hotch leaned back in his chair and peaked out into the bullpen and was instantly curious as he saw Reid, who had been a little late arriving, hand Emily a cup of Starbucks coffee. So that was why he was late. Why was he getting just Emily coffee though, why not the rest of the team?

Emily smiled as she took a quick sip of her coffee and thanked him. Reid just nodded and took her hand gently in his. By his facial expression and the quick role of Emily's eyes, Hotch knew Reid was reciting some statistic he had stored up in that intelligent brain of his. Reid managed to coax a laugh, albeit a weak one, from Emily and went to sit at his desk. Emily just shook her head and paused for a moment. She turned to say something to Reid and Hotch saw the frown on her lips and her downcast eyes. Whatever was wrong was more than not feeling well Hotch deduced and it seemed like everyone was in on it. Morgan even pulled Emily aside earlier when she returned from the bathroom and talked to her a little.

Hotch was confused.

Surely Emily would've told him if something had happened. They didn't keep secrets from each other: They rarely even had before they had started dating. A knock on his door distracted Hotch from Emily, and brought his attention to his old friend standing in the doorway. "Got a minute?" Dave asked glancing over at Emily as well. Maybe Dave would shed some light onto the situation with Emily. Hotch waved his friend in and quirked his eyebrow as Dave shut his office door. Whatever he had to say, Dave didn't want to leave this room. This only fueled Hotch's curiosity and he paid Dave his undivided attention as he sat across from him.

"I'm not surprised that you forgot, but I am surprised that you let Emily come into work today." Dave said, cutting straight to the chase. Hotch looked at his friend befuddled by his words. He had forgotten something? Hotch looked back to where Emily was sitting and wracked his brain for the answer.

"Think Aaron. What is today?" Dave said trying to hide his exasperation with his younger teammate. Hotch was normally a stickler for dates and anniversaries. Hotch closed his eyes and thought hard. It was the beginning of January, but as for the significance of the date, Hotch couldn't find one. Rossi sighed, deciding to throw the poor man a bone. Dave looked out and saw that it was snowing and internally cursed. He had no doubt Emily would find herself walking outside at some point tonight.

"A year ago today we had a particularly difficult case for one of our agents and we helped her out. Unfortunately it had been one of those cases where she got a little too involved and the team was hard on her, especially you." Dave said basically spelling it out for Hotch.

Hotch's eyes widened as his brain surged with memory and he suddenly remembered what today was. A year ago today Emily's friend Matthew died thus invoking a heart wrenching case that would haunt Emily for years to come. Hotch remembered telling her he didn't want to see her in the office for a few days and how he had let her down. That was why Morgan especially had been paying careful attention to her. He had let her down as well, although she had thanked him for having her back.

Hotch felt like the biggest jerk on the face of the planet. Even more so because the whole team knew what today was and had been trying to help her. He hadn't done anything, he had forgotten. He was the worst boyfriend ever.

Dave saw the realization hit Hotch like a bus speeding on icy roads and smiled kindly at him. "I suggest you take her home early tonight." Dave said internally smirking at the almost panicked look on Hotch's face. He was well aware that Emily spend majority of her time at the Hotchner house, but he wasn't going to let Hotch know that. He wasn't a profiler for nothing after all. He did wonder how long they'd keep the team in the dark though. Sooner or later it would come out and Dave just hoped he had some popcorn handy to munch on as he sat back and watched the show.

"Thanks Dave." Hotch said mentally berating himself for his idiocy. "Don't mention it Aaron." Dave replied and slid out of his seat to go check on Emily once more. It didn't take a profiler to see how today had managed to crawl under Emily's skin and make her uncomfortable.

Emily looked up at the shadow that fell upon her desk and bit back her smile at Dave's soft eyes. He, more than the other, was keeping a close eye on her. He knew what it was like to have a case haunt you for a long time. He also knew about why Matthew had been her lifeline when she was fifteen. Emily hadn't told anyone else about her abortion; she was afraid of their reactions: Most of all Hotch's. Emily tried not to feel disappointed that Hotch didn't know what this day meant to her. He was a busy man who had suffered his own tragedy months back. She didn't blame him one bit. Still, it would've been nice if he had at least attempted to see what was wrong with her.

"I'm the same way I was thirty minutes ago when you checked up on me Dave." Emily said smiling at her older friend and confidant.

"Can't blame a guy for checking Emily." Dave replied, sitting on the corner of her desk. Reid and Morgan nodded; their eyes steady on Emily who was touched by their concern. She really had a great family.

"You know, I'm sure Hotch wouldn't mind if you called it quits early today." Morgan said looking up to see the very man he was talking about looking thoughtfully at Emily. Maybe he finally remembered. Emily followed Morgan's eyes and met Hotch's. He nodded his head and Emily's mood lightened considerably. He knew.

"Maybe I will." Emily said not seeing JJ coming over to them.

"Hey guys…" JJ said but Morgan cut her off. "Come on JJ please tell me we don't have a case," he pleaded glancing over at Emily who looked down.

"If you'd let me finish," JJ said shooting Morgan a look and he held up his hands in defense. "My bad," he said as the others laughed. Dave met JJ's eyes and winked at her, to which she playfully rolled her eyes making him grin sweetly. They had become a little more flirty since their episode at the bar a whiles back.

"What I was going to say before Mr. I-know-everything interrupted me is that maybe we should all go out for lunch with Jack to take our minds off of work and other things. What do you think?" JJ said dodging a ball of paper Morgan wadded up and threw at her causing everyone to laugh. Emily looked up at JJ and smiled softly.

"I think that's a great idea," she said as Garcia and Jack appeared out of nowhere. "Smart thinking girly, because we were gonna drag you along whether you wanted to go or not." Garcia said as Emily helped Jack with his jacket. Emily chuckled and felt her eyes tear up.

"Emmy, are you gonna cry?" Jack asked, for children are known for their blunt observations and lack of vocal filters. Emily laughed and shook her head trying to dry her eyes. Hotch was walking down the stairs when Emily looked at him. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. He walked over to her and tenderly patted her arm, ignoring the beaming smiles on his teams' faces. "Lets go get something to eat." Hotch said and smiled as Emily nodded enthusiastically. They'd have the chance to talk tonight when he insisted that she come home with him. He would make it up to her somehow.

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Wow Hotch, way to drop the damn ball. *laugh* I really loved writing this chapter, and the next one will be a little more emotional-dealing with grief. I can relate to Emily because when I was 13 my best friend Lainie died in a car accident, so I think I'll be able to capture her sadness fairy well. I hope I don't disappoint anyone.

Peace out.


	3. Who She Would Always Love

Hey everyone.

I'm so glad I was able to post this like I said I would. I really wanted this chapter to be perfect. I think anyone who has ever lost someone they love, be it a brother, mother, a friend or anyone else can relate to the pain Emily feels in this chapter. I hope that all of you who have lost someone are able to find peace with your grief and greet each following day with a healing heart.

Please enjoy and review (reviews = love)

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_Even hundredfold grief is divisible by love. _

~Jareb Teague

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

Lunch had been a welcomed break from the stress of work for the team and a time for Emily to be surrounded by the people who loved her.

Morgan teased her while Reid tried to defend her, but in the end Reid just got picked on more for his futile attempts. JJ and Garcia were fun and flirty and Dave fell hook, line, and sinker for the charm JJ was laying on thick. Morgan himself fell pray to the tech goddess's playful banter. Jack was perfectly content to sit between Emily and Hotch so he could face Reid and listen to fun facts. As far as good times went, their lunch was now on Emily's top ten best family moments along with diner at Dave's and the park adventure when Will and Henry were able to come.

Emily managed to push all thoughts of Matthew away and focus primarily on Jack and Hotch, who was holding her hand under the table. She knew he felt guilty for not remembering. Emily finally figured out that Dave had helped jog Hotch's memory. To be honest it still stung that he didn't remember on his own, but as he held her hand securely in his Emily didn't mind. He was there, trying to make amends. She was a very lucky woman.

Emily laughed heartily when Morgan, not paying attention to Reid as he did his magic trick to entertain Jack, jerked away and spilled his soda all over his shirt when Reid pulled a coin from his ear. Morgan glared at Reid but upon hearing Jack's infectious giggles, softened his eyes and joined in the laughter. Everyone watched, as the dark cloud hovering over Emily seemed to vanish as Reid attempted to pat Morgan's shirt dry with napkins. This caused a whole other set of theatrics from Morgan and ended with Reid switching places with JJ to get away from harm. Emily patted his arm affectionately and vowed she'd protect him.

Before Morgan could make some comment about that Hotch kicked Morgan 'accidentally' under the table and Morgan shut his mouth quickly. Hotch kicked really hard.

Hotch looked down at his watch and saw it was just after two.

"JJ, I looked over the cases you gave me and I think I found one we should attend to. How about we conference it tomorrow?" Hotch said turning slightly to address the media liaison. JJ focused her attentions on Hotch, playfully smirking at Dave before answering.

"That sounds good. Why not today?" she asked curious and everyone else faced Hotch. He shrugged.

"I figured we'd call it quits for today. We can head out tomorrow, I'm in no hurry and I figure neither are the rest of you." Hotch replied seeing the knowing looks Dave and Morgan displayed. The real reason was he wanted to have this night to help Emily deal with Matthew's death and a case was not exactly going to help him with that.

"Can it wait?" Emily asked not wanting to be the main reason Hotch put the case off. She'd never get over the guilt if someone died while they were at home relaxing because they didn't want her to break. They all could hear the concern in Emily's voice and waited for Hotch's answer. Hotch looked at Emily and nodded.

"It can, there's no rush. He takes his victims for five days with a weekly cooling-off period in between each body dump. They found a new body three days ago, so we've got time. I want to head out tomorrow though. Apparently the media is having a field days with this and there's no telling how the unsub will react." Hotch's voice was commanding, telling her that it was the end of that discussion.

Not being one to argue with him in front of the team, Emily just nodded and turned her attention back to Jack who was getting annoyed with the recent topic of discussion. He didn't like it when Emily and Hotch left him, but he knew they had to catch the bad guys.

"Well, if we are really let off the leash, I think we should go back to Quantico and pack up." Morgan said standing up and tossing a ten on the table for his share of the bill. The others nodded in agreement and paid their shares, eager to pack up and go home. Hotch never let them go this early, so they certainly weren't going to waste the opportunity he so graciously provided.

Everyone exchanged their goodbyes as well as sympathetic hugs with Emily as they filed out of the office once packed up. Emily smiled her thanks and promised to call if she needed anything. They knew she wouldn't but they figured she'd be with Hotch anyway.

"I'll meet you at your place." Emily said when it was just she, Hotch and Jack in the office. Hotch looked at her, trying to figure out if she'd hold true to her words. Emily smiled at him, "I promise," she said and walked out of the office, trying hard to hold it all in until she was safe in her car. She hadn't been sure if she wanted Hotch to see her like this, but she figured he'd say something about how she helped him though his grief and it was only fair he help her through hers.

He was stubborn like that.

He was right though. Emily trusted Hotch with her whole heart. She even was thinking about telling him about her abortion, even though she dreaded his reaction most of all. Taking a deep breath, Emily reached her car and got in, determined to be stronger than her grief. Matthew wouldn't want Emily to fall apart. Pulling out of the parking garage, Emily looked in her rearview mirror and fought her smile and tears as she saw Jack waving at her while holding his Daddy's hand.

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Emily knocked on Hotch's apartment door and steadied her breathing. She had tried to plan out what to say to him, but between the fear and the sadness she hadn't come up with much. Part of Emily was sure she was being irrational; that no matter what she told Aaron, he'd be Mr. Understanding and he's hold her close. Unfortunately the other part of Emily, the slightly larger part, told her that Aaron would be horrified with what she had done in her past and their relationship would suffer because of it.

As the door opened, Emily braced herself and began counting in her head to calm her erratic breathing. She hadn't even said anything to him yet and she was already freaking out.

Some great compartmentalizing ability she had.

Hotch took in the panicked look in Emily's eyes and realized that today had more than just Matthew's death to it and he instantly pulled her into his arms to help calm her frayed nerves. Emily breathed in his relaxing mix of coffee and cologne and something uniquely his and instantly felt relief. God, he was good.

Hotch was able to shut the door behind Emily without letting her go. He had no intention of pushing her to talk. She never did that to him when he was grieving for Haley or suffering after Foyet's initial attack. He would sit and listen like she had done for him. Difference is this time he can actually comfort her in the way a boyfriend would a girlfriend, and that made all the difference in the world.

Jack came racing from his room but stopped short after seeing his Daddy hugging Emmy really tight. Jack saw the sad look on Emmy's face and walked slowly up to her. Being very careful, Jack latched onto Emily's leg and tried to comfort her the best he could. He didn't like it when she or his Daddy was sad; it made him sad. Emily looked down at the new person attached to her body and smiled. Letting go of Hotch, Emily bent down and picked Jack up. Jack snuggled into Emily's arms and kissed her cheek like his Daddy did when he was upset. Emily chuckled lightly, her breath parting Jack's hair. Emily nuzzled Jack's cheek and Hotch wrapped his arms around both of them. Emily sunk into Hotch's arms once more and enjoyed the warmth he and Jack provided her, sheltering her from the cold outside. It was snowing again and Emily felt a wave of nostalgia attack her.

Hotch felt Emily stiffen a little and let her go.

"Hey Buddy, why don't you go play for a little bit while Emily and I talk about grown-up stuff okay?" Hotch said taking Jack from Emily's arms. Jack pouted, but nevertheless did what his Daddy asked him. He'd go make something for Emmy to make her feel better and he knew exactly what he'd make. Jack turned back to Emily real quick and let her kiss him on the cheek before rushing off to his room to start on his new project. He knew his Daddy could fix Emmy because his Daddy was a superhero and could fix anything.

Emily watched Jack bound off and felt the sadness and fear begin to overcome her with each step Jack took that lead him away from her. Here we go. Emily turned to Hotch who was staring at her tenderly and she felt the tears start to gather in her eyes. God, she was being so pathetic. Hotch took her hand and lead her to the couch where he planned on holding her as she struggled through the motions. He would be strong for her because he couldn't imagine doing anything else. To him, Emily's tears were the worst weapons imaginable. He hoped he'd never be the reason for them to appear.

Emily felt her breath come out in gasps and her heartbeat quicken as she sunk into the soft couch on which she spent many good nights with her boys, excluding Morgan, Reid and Dave of course. Hotch pulled her onto his lap and held her as she fell apart. He ran a soothing hand through her soft hair and pressed his lips to her cold forehead. He let her cry and mentally vowed he'd never let her feel this grief again. He knew he couldn't promise it logically, but seeing her in such pain brought out the illogical side of Aaron Hotchner and he'd be damned if he tried to put a rational label on her heart wrenching sobs.

He knew grief: He knew the pain of realizing someone you loved was never coming back. Hotch honestly didn't know what he would've done without the team, without his son…without the sobbing woman in his arms. It was his turn to be her strength and let her be weak for a while. It was all anyone could do.

Emily felt as if her lungs were on fire.

All the tears she had held in came rushing out like a fire hydrant that had been hit by a car. The memories of Matthew and Jon came rushing back like a backlash wave of the ocean. The hot summer days and the cool fall nights. Their innocence and then their loss of innocence. Her barren womb, which ached as if being torn apart as she remembered that cold room. She could recall the way Matthew smelled as he held her after the procedure. He told her that her time would come again and that she'd be a hell of a mother. A fresh wave of tears poured out of her sore eyes as she was instantly transported back to that bar where Jon told her what had happened.

Emily wasn't sure how long Hotch held her. Her sense of time has stopped the second he pulled her into his apartment. That was what she loved about staying at his place, time moved differently when it was just them and Jack, hidden from the outside world. This was her place of solace on days the cases were too much. Her home didn't feel like home unless Jack and Hotch stayed over, which they did occasionally.

Emily sniffles subsided and Hotch knew she was done for the time being.

Emily drew back and began to wipe her tears away, but Hotch beat her to it. His calloused yet gentle fingers ghosted over her cheeks, stopping her tears in their tracks. Emily leaned into his touch, letting it become her main point of focus for a brief moment before she told Hotch her secret.

Hotch cupped her face in his inviting hands and eased his lips over hers, stealing some of her pain. She moaned inaudibly and rested her hands on his chest, borrowing his affection. His kisses were light and yet held the weight of the world in them. She was drowning in his compassion and for a moment Emily didn't feel like the world was falling of its axis. Balance was restored for a split second until Emily broke away and looked deeply into Hotch's eyes. It was now or never.

Emily put some space in between them and Hotch let her, though he held on to her hand refusing to let her go. Whatever she was about to tell him was crucial and she needed as much support as he could give her.

Emily cleared her throat and held her tears at bay. Taking a shaky breath in, Emily met Hotch's dark eyes head on and saw the blazing encouragement lurking there and carried on.

"I got pregnant when I was fifteen, not too terribly long after I met Matthew and Jon." Emily said, her voice the only thing heard in the living room. Hotch's breath caught in his throat at her admission, but nodded for her to continue. Deep breath, continue. "It was Jon's and he could deal with it. Neither could I. My pastor was no help and it ended up being Matthew who helped me." Emily forged on, determined to get it out in the open as soon as possible.

Hotch squeezed her hand, mentally forming a few hypothesis's as to the outcome of her story. None of them were pleasant. Emily felt the pressure on her hand and looked away, hiding her shame.

"Matthew found a guy. I remember it had been a cold room and I had been scared. He stayed though, he stayed with me." Emily's voice broke and she looked down and gathered her thoughts. Hotch felt his gut tighten as he realized what she was about to tell him. Emily looked back at Hotch and didn't see anything prevalent: His mask was in place. Swallowing her fear, she spoke quietly.

"I got an abortion and because of that, Matthew lost his faith in the church. He saved my life but it ended up costing him his." Emily watched the few emotions flash across Hotch's eyes. Horror, sadness, anger, and they settled on a kind warmth that made Emily's heart flip flop. She never saw disgust and she was fairly certain the anger and horror had nothing to do with what she did, but what had happened to her.

Hotch saw the tension leave her body and he realized how afraid she had been of telling him her secret. Hotch scooted closer to Emily and looked down at their hands. Then, he glanced at her and spoke with nothing but sympathy and kindhearted words.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that Emily. I'm glad you told me, but I strongly doubt Matthew would ever believe it was your fault that he died. You can't believe that either sweetheart." Hotch said leaning his forehead against hers, conveying the undeniable truth of his words.

Emily felt her tears fall down her cheeks once more, but they were not laced with sadness and pain anymore. Cleansing tears of doubtless acceptance fell like rain from her closed eyes and she felt a burden lift from her baggage filled soul. Hotch pulled her towards him once more and together they sat in a restful silence, both knowing they wouldn't survive the all-consuming power of grief without the other.

Emily let the new calm fall over her like a cloak from the evil in the world and drifted off to sleep in the arms of the man she would never stop loving, just like Matthew.

* * *

I fell strangely nostalgic after writing this. It makes me think of my loved ones I've lost, and I'm happy about it. I listened to a few songs while writing this chapter, "Darkening Sky" by Peter Bradley Adams, "Now Comes The Night" by Rob Thomas, Hear You Me (May Angels Lead You In) by Jimmy Eat World, "Carry You Home" by James Blunt, "Fountain" by Sara Lov and a few others. I suggest at least checking them out because they are beautiful songs.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'll post chapter four Wednesday, I've already figured out what I'm going to do with the rest of my story and I dare say you shall enjoy it.

Peace out.


	4. The Jealous Man

Hey everyone!

I am officially on winter break and I'm so happy! This means lots of updated stories and new oneshots! *cheer* I had planned on posting chapter 5 of this story as well today and I will still try to do that, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I am a wee bit tired and no one wants a tired writer especially when the next chapter will be a little dramatic. I really need to quit doing bad things to Emily...I hate it. *laugh* But it needs to be done to the benefit of my stories. Sorry Emily.

Please enjoy and review.

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_Jealousy in romance is like salt in food._

_A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure_

_and, under certain circumstances, can be life-threatening._

_~Maya Angelou_

_- - - - -_

If Detective Cook wasn't careful, he was going to find himself face to face with a very pissed off Agent Aaron Hotchner.

It started with a case JJ had presented to the team yesterday. A serial rapist turned killer was terrorizing Ellington, Connecticut. After stalking the his victims for a week he broke into their houses and kidnapped them. Then after holding them captive for 32 hours, in which he raped and tortured the women, he dumped their bodies at different locations.

He targeted women who lived alone and were fresh out of college. Unfortunately, a few of the women had boyfriends who would stay the night and leave the house in a body bag. He left no DNA and was decreasing his time between abduction and body disposal, which speed up his stalking by a day or two. The team attributed his speedy behavior to an event in his life that had slipped from his control like the sickness of a loved one.

Emily had displayed little outward emotions at the thought of going back to Connecticut where she attended Yale University. It wasn't until they showed up at the prescient that Emily's cover broke as an officer quickly embraced her. Hotch was shocked, the others were as well, but when Emily laughed and hugged the officer back they relaxed. Well, Hotch didn't. He didn't know who the hell was holding Emily, but he knew he wanted him to stop it immediately.

Hotch cleared his throat and ignored the look Dave shot him. Emily broke away, looking embarrassed before introducing Eric Cook, who happened to be the detective who suggested contacting the BAU. Once introductions were done Morgan couldn't help but ask Emily how she knew Detective Cook. Eric laughed as Emily nudged him gently with an ease she didn't normally display around the team unless they were out drinking.

"We used to date." Emily said carefully watching for Hotch's reactions. She thanked God that they were on a case and in public because she saw how his eyes widened and his nose flared ever so noticeably. Eric patted Emily's arm, unaware of the death glare Hotch was sending him. If he touched Emily one more time Hotch swore he was going to flip. It wasn't like him to get, dare he say, jealous but something about Eric Cook rubbed him the wrong way. That and he was playing Mr. Grabby with his girlfriend.

"Yeah, we met at Yale and dated for a year. Sadly our lives took us in different directions, but we remained good friends." Eric finished grinning down at Emily who couldn't help but return his smile. He wasn't lying. She hadn't known he transferred to Ellington, but she knew he was a detective and she was pretty sure he knew she was with the BAU.

Dave noticed the rigid set of Hotch's jaw and resisted the urge to slap the man upside of his head. "Prentiss, you and I are supposed to go check out the recent victim's house," he said jerking her away from Eric's attempt to hold her attention a little while longer. Emily nodded her head quickly; Agent Prentiss coming out in full force. She'd catch up with Eric later. Plus the look Hotch was shooting them made Emily eager to get to work.

Emily found it a little amusing that Hotch displayed jealousy over Eric, but she hoped he'd be able to keep a lid on it. Eric was a very affectionate person, something she prayed Hotch wouldn't realize while they were working the case.

The team separated and it wasn't long before they reached the end of the day. Hotch had decided they had enough after a day's work to give a profile and the others agreed. They only had three more days before their unsub would release Jamie Hanson's body. Hotch rubbed his eyes tiredly, he had been unable to talk to Jack as long as he wanted. Jack was having lots of fun at Aunt Jessica's and Garcia had promised Hotch to check up on the little boy if it would make Hotch feel better. Hotch told her not to bother, he trusted Jessica with his son.

Emily hadn't gotten to talk to Jack and that had upset him a little. Jack had made a habit of talking to both Hotch and Emily before bed time when they were on cases. Since Emily spent so much time over at their place, Jack had grown accustomed to a bedtime story from her and a kiss on the cheek. Hotch smiled to himself as he remembered the last time Emily spent the night. They had cuddled in his big bed with Jack and watched movies. Hotch quickly wondered if he'd be able to sneak into Emily's room tonight without waking JJ. It was risky, but not being able to be with her made Hotch's job a little bit harder.

As Hotch walked out of the little area reserved for the team his eyes fell upon Emily and he quickened his step a little. Once he saw Eric come up beside her though he stopped. Emily turned and smiled at Eric who in turn brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. Hotch felt his blood boil as Eric said something and Emily laughed. She had her stuff and had been waiting for him to take her back to the hotel. Hotch could see how tired she was and mentally cursed at his inability to leave sooner. Every time he saw her and Eric together it made Hotch's heart constrict in pain. He saw the way Eric looked at her and wanted to punch him in the face. Hotch felt anger race through his veins as Eric leaned in a little closer to Emily to whisper something in her ear.

Emily backed away a little and caught Hotch's smoldering glare. She looked at him relieved, but the look in his cold eyes didn't disappear. Oh boy, she was in for it now. Emily was aware that Hotch was a man, how could she not be? She was also aware, that like any man, Hotch was prone to get jealous when other men looked at her the way Eric was currently looking at her. What Emily was not aware of was Hotch's urge to throw away all cleverly created boundaries and rip Eric Cook a new one.

Hotch continued his journey towards Emily and caught Eric's eyes for a moment. There was a flash of pure hatred in them, which didn't surprise Hotch one bit. Eric had expected a flinch, or an acknowledgement that Hotch had seen the look in his eyes, but Hotch was not a skittish man. He'd be damned before he let some wannabe cop scared him away from his woman.

Emily saw the hostile looks the men flashed one another and had the strong urge to smack their heads together, but she figured that'd cause another set of problems she didn't want to deal with. She noted Hotch's dominant stance and Eric's challenging pose. '_Men_," she thought exasperated and spoke gently to Hotch, bringing him back to her.

"You ready to go?" Emily asked moving closer to Hotch to demonstrate her choice. Emily couldn't help but feel like she was in a pack of wolves as mating season was about to begin. She had to admit though, seeing Hotch primed for a fight, a fight for her, was slightly enticing. Well, it was down right sexy if Emily was going to be honest.

Hotch looked down at Emily and saw the sparks in her eyes and smirked. Emily was floored. Hotch smirked, he smirked at her! Lord have mercy on any woman Aaron Hotchner smirked at so cockily and proudly.

He knew she'd pick him over Eric, and he wasn't afraid to help her broadcast that little fact. Hotch put his hand on Emily's lower back and could feel Eric's heated stare in the back of his skull. Hotch barely rolled his shoulder, denying Eric any reprieve. Emily's eyes widened as Hotch told her he was ready and nudged her forward.

Emily didn't try to say goodnight to Eric: She knew that wouldn't go over too well with Hotch. She focused on Hotch's warm hand on her lower back and tried hard to maintain her professionalism. Thankfully the others had just left before Hotch and Eric's little pissing contest, which hadn't been a real contest because Hotch dominated the situation without so much as batting an eyelash. Emily felt the tension radiating in Hotch's body and inwardly groaned. Emily didn't know why it didn't occur to her to try and keep her distance from Eric, but then again she had the right to talk to whomever she wanted. Though, she knew Hotch had his issues, hell she had her own set to balance out his. They both had been hurt in the past and we're trying to build their relationship on solid ground. Emily wondered what parts she'd have to try and rebuild as she saw the frustration and doubt lurking in Hotch's eyes.

The drive to the hotel had been a quiet one except for the txt Emily had received from JJ telling her that she and the boys had gone out to a dinner for a bite to eat. Emily asked JJ to bring her and Hotch something because they wouldn't be joining them due to the fact Hotch had stayed longer than they had intended, which wasn't an outright lie. Emily figured Hotch would want to talk to her without an audience. Hotch asked Emily what her txt was about and Emily filled him in as he pulled into the parking lot. Hotch wasn't surprised when she opted to stay with him; she had this ability to know what he needed the second he needed it.

"My room or yours?" Emily asked looking down at her hands nervously. Hotch thought before turning off the car and getting out. Emily waited and bit her lip as Hotch opened her door for her. "Mine," was all he said and Emily followed him closely into the hotel and down the hall from her and JJ's room into the one he shared with Dave. Emily shut the door behind her and turned to face Hotch's back. He was vibrating with unsaid words and unexpressed emotions, which made Emily approach him carefully. He had this ticking bomb persona.

"Aaron," Emily started but when Hotch turned around and pulled her into his powerful arms her words fell apart. The mad jealousy was vivid in his eyes and he stole Emily's breath as he sealed his eager lips over hers. All ability to think fled Emily as she felt with her body all the rage Hotch had kept bottled up as Eric touched her. He devoured her mouth in desperation as if trying to assure himself he was the one she chose those months ago. Emily felt an ache in her heart as she realized how upset Eric had really made Hotch. He had been jealous yes, but he also did that thing where he doubted whether or not Emily was better off with him.

Emily couldn't count the number of times she told him she wasn't going anywhere. Emily tried to sooth Hotch by running her hands slowly through his hair, which calmed his racing pulse and hurried emotions. Hotch broke away and kissed Emily a few more times quickly as he let exhaustion sink into his bones. Emily smiled with each kiss he gave her and pulled back to look into his eyes. Crisis adverted and calm restored Emily saw happily and quirked an eyebrow at the satisfied smiled Hotch displayed.

"You know, I'm probably going to regret telling you this but the whole jealous 'back off my mate' thing was kinda hot." Emily admitted casually. Hotch's eyes widened and saw the teasing honesty in Emily's eyes. She always was full of surprises.

"But it would be best if you didn't take Detective Cook's head off during this case. I'm sure Strauss would frown upon behavior like that." Emily said seriously trying to convey the truth of her words. Hotch reluctantly nodded but smiled as Emily leaned in and kissed him. Having to be so careful on cases wore them down and they both were grateful for the opportunity they had been granted.

Before they could get too carried away Emily's phone vibrated, disrupting the tangible fantasy that hung in the air. Emily groaned and flipped it open. JJ and the other's had just arrived and were on their way to bring the food. Emily relayed this message and Hotch began to straighten his hair and jacket. Emily did the same and together they went to met the team, hoping to satisfy at least one appetite tonight.

Emily knew they were okay. Hotch would be a good boy and she'd try not to be so buddy-buddy with Eric. Emily brushed Hotch's hand and smiled at the team who had managed to bring back enough for Emily and Hotch to chow down on. It was a nice night full with a relaxed atmosphere: If only they had known this was the only peace they'd get for a few days.

* * *

Ah, not the best cliff hanger, but it does let you know some thing bad will happen!

I've decided to turn "The Stories Scars Tell" into a multi chapter story, so I'll try to get the second chapter of that up by Sunday. I will definitely post chapter 5 and 6 of this story up tomorrow (if I don't post chap 5 tonight) as well as a oneshot dealing with the events in "Retaliation" I plan on being very busy with my stories this break so that's good news for everyone. I also want to do a Christmas fic with the whole team which I won't post until the 22nd, the 24th at the latest. So keep your eyes peeled for my new stories. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. More will be here soon.

Peace out.


	5. A Trip to the Hospital

Hey everyone.

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday, I was out Christmas shopping all day. Literally from 8:30 in the morning to about 6:30 pm. Then I attempted some home improvement which went to hell in a hand basket real quick. Not to mention I was so exhausted yesterday. Hopefully though I'll be able to post chapter 6 today as well as the second chapter of "The Stories Scars Tell"

Please enjoy and review.

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There was chaos everywhere as a mixture of police and BAU agents fretted over a fallen agent.

Emily drifted in and out of consciousness: She had a pretty bad head wound from her fall, not to mention the bullet embedded in her body. With each blink Emily could see the concerned faces of her teammates then Hotch's frantic and fearful stare. He was two steps away from losing his cool.

Emily tried to figure out what was worse, the fact she was inevitably going to spend some serious time in the hospital or the fact her ex was the reason for her stay. Eric Cook had been their unsub all along. It hadn't seemed possible until they developed the profile more after giving the preliminary one just two days ago. They found another body that day which prompted the team to dig a little deeper into their unsub's mind. He was devolving too quickly which caused everyone to work double time.

Emily should've seen the signs.

When Hotch had called her to tell her that Reid had figured out the unsub was a part of the force, Eric had put a gun to her head and threatened to blow her brains out. Emily had thought fast and replied with 'I know', which immediately clued Hotch and the others into the dangerous predicament Emily was put in. The team had never left an area so fast before and they rushed to a park not ten minutes away from the precinct where the latest body had been dumped. Emily had offered to go to the scene while the others worked the profile. Detective Cook offered to take her; no one thought twice, except Hotch but his motivation was jealousy, not suspicion.

Hotch's knuckles had been white the entire ride there as well as Morgan's. Reid mentally willed Hotch to drive faster and Rossi was primed to get out of the car the second it stopped. JJ had been saying a small prayer for her friend when they stopped and the sight she saw made her gasp.

There was a clearing and Emily was on the ground with a bleeding head wound. Eric had his gun pointed directly at Emily who was unarmed. Hotch and the others rushed out of the car and he raised his gun, then shouted a warning: He knew he'd have to shoot if Emily was going to live. Hotch refused to lose another woman he loved this way. Eric met Hotch's eyes and he laughed, the son of a bitch laughed before he pulled the trigger. Hotch didn't even flinch as his finger pulled his own trigger, but his heart stopped when Emily stopped moving. She lay prostrate on the green grass and Hotch saw her blood seep from her body.

Eric Cook wasn't even on the ground before Hotch ran to Emily's side. JJ was calling for an ambulance and Morgan was all over Eric Cook. Morgan resisted the urge to kick the dying man but he did manage to crush his hand as Eric reached for his gun. Hotch hadn't killed him and Morgan barely batted a lash when he found he wished he had. No one put a member of his team in danger and got away with it. JJ was in between Reid and Dave as Hotch put himself over Emily's body. She was conscious, much to everyone's relief, but she was shaking like a leaf in the winter.

Her skin paled and her eyes watered. Hotch applied pressure to her gunshot wound and kept her talking to him. She apologized a few time and Hotch angrily told her to stop it. She choked out a laugh and told him since he was full of guilt she could give it a try. Hotch shook his head but managed a faint smile as Emily reached her hand up and grasped his hands that rested on her side. The blood was still pouring out, but she didn't notice. All she could see was him.

By the grace of God the ambulance pulled up a few minutes later and they loaded Emily on a stretcher. Hotch turned to his team, but Morgan told him to get in that damn ambulance before he needed his own one, and Hotch nodded his head before getting in the ambulance Emily was in. He'd meet them at the hospital later, but right now Emily needed him.

The ride passed in a blur and before Hotch could blink they were at the hospital. The paramedic pulled Hotch aside as his partner rushed her into the building. He said a few comforting words and promised she'd be alright. Hotch found himself believing the paramedic and he shook his hand before he rushed off into the hospital as well. The team was waiting for him in the waiting room when he got there. Morgan was talking to Garcia who had calmed down considerably.

Hotch's phone went off and he saw it was Jessica. Taking a deep breath in he answered it and relayed what had happened to her. The worst part was telling Jack, it broke his heart when Jack's voice began to rise in panic and he could see the tears in his eyes.

"Daddy, is Emmy gonna be okay? She's not gonna leave us is she? I don't want Emmy to leave Daddy." Jack said hiccupping with repressed tears.

Hotch gnawed at his bottom lip to hold back his own tears and said with a steady voice that Emily would be fine and he'd bring her back home soon. He stayed on the phone with Jack for a few more minutes, soothing his son and repeating that Emily would be okay. He prayed that his words were true. Jack wasn't the only one who didn't want Emily to leave: Hotch didn't know if he could survive without her.

The team watched Hotch pace and comfort his son.

It was heart wrenching watching their boss fall apart with every step he took. They all knew he and Emily had gotten closer and only Dave and JJ knew, without a doubt, that Hotch and Emily were in a relationship. They were their best friends after all. Dave and JJ shared a look and knew that today would probably be the day they came out with their secret.

'_About time_' Dave thought amused at the confused looks Reid shot Morgan.

An hour passed and Hotch was trying his best to keep his professional mask in place. The rest of the team's eyes darted between their leader and the doors where Emily's doctor would come out of once the surgery was done. Reid nudged Morgan in the arm when someone finally came out of those swinging doors. Everyone stood up and approached Emily's surgeon.

"Emily Prentiss' group I presume?" Dr. Wilson asked eying the team kindly. They all nodded and when Dr. Wilson relaxed his posture a little so did they. Emily was okay.

"The bullet didn't hit anything critical. A few stitches here and there as well as a mild concussion, but nothing terribly serious. I'd say she could probably leave her in a day or two if her doctor permits it." Dr. Wilson said assuredly. A wave of held breaths rolled throughout the group and smiles replaced the stern lip sets.

"Can we see her?" Hotch asked anxiously. Even though Emily was okay, he had to see her. Dr. Wilson repressed his knowing smile at Hotch and nodded his head. "She was asking for Aaron, I assume that's you?" he asked Hotch who nodded his head quickly. The team smirked at one another as Dr. Wilson told him she was in room 213. Hotch was gone before anyone could blink. Hotch strode determinedly down the hospital hallway and reached Emily's room in record time. He stood in her doorway, pausing to take her in. Her eyes were closed and she had a large piece of gauze wrapped around her forehead. Hotch felt an overwhelming cloud of relieve encompass him as Emily opened her eyes and saw him. She blinked a few times and then smiled.

"Get over here." Emily said hoarsely, Hotch didn't need to be told twice. Emily giggled when Hotch pressed various kisses on her face, throwing all restrictions away. She was alive, she was alive. Hotch couldn't control himself as he ran his hands all over her body, making sure she was really there with him. He couldn't believe how close he had come to losing her. It was too real and dredged up bad memories for him. Thankfully the women he held in his arms currently was alive and would be okay with time. She'd heal and he'd be there every step of the way. He didn't need to be a profiler to see the pain behind her eyes at being betrayed but he also saw the joy in her eyes as he continued to kiss her playfully.

It wasn't until he heard a collective clearing of throats that he stopped kissing Emily and turned to see the amused looks on his team's faces. Emily laughed a little louder as Hotch froze.

Busted.

* * *

Sorry this chapter was so short, the next one will be longer. The team is so going to grill Hotch and Emily. There will also be more Jack in the next chapter, promise. I was upset that I was unable to find a quote for this chapter. Hopefully, I'll find two for the next one. Maybe a song even. I'll see what I can do.

Peace out.


	6. Phone Calls, Teasing, Confessions Oh My!

Hey people and aliens from different places.

I did it, chapter 5 and 6 posted in one day! *cheer* I'm very proud of myself, then again I couldn't wait to write this chapter. I love writing stuff with the whole team, especially when they tease one another. It makes me happy. I don't know if any of you liked her acting, but Brittany Murphy passed away today at the age of 32. We've lost a lot of good actors, actresses, and singers this year as well of other well known people. I won't forget them and I hope you do not either; just something to think about over the holidays-treasure your family and friends.

Well, now that that's out of my system, I'll try to post chapter 7 by tomorrow. (there will most likely only be 2-3 chapters more to go in this story)

Please enjoy and review, I'm beginning to think no one's out there reading this fic. *laugh*

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"_You know how easily and suddenly these things happen,_

_beginning in playful teasing and ending _

_in something a little warmer than friendship."_

_~Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr._

Hotch wasn't exactly sure where to begin.

Everyone filed into Emily's room and waited for what they all assumed would be a comical explanation of Hotch's odd behavior. He certainly didn't go kissing JJ or Garcia when they were in the hospital.

Dave fought back his overly smug look as JJ shook with silent laughter beside him. Morgan had his arms crossed against his chest with a Cheshire cat smiled plastered on his face and Reid seemed torn between shock and amusement. Hotch's face a little pink, which in itself was hilarious and Emily was biting her lower lip with a guilty countenance. She felt like a child caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Hotch tried to reign in his embarrassment but found it increasingly difficult as Morgan snickered and Dave shook his head in mock disappointment. They were all out to get him at this point.

Emily had grabbed Hotch's hand at one point to help ease his conflicted emotions. She ran her thumb over the top of his hand and Hotch felt his embarrassment die down a little. They knew the team was bound to find out sooner or later, so really they shouldn't be so upset about it. It wasn't like Hotch was ashamed of his relationship with Emily; quite the contrary. Hotch looked over at Emily, who smiled ruefully at him. She didn't look anything but flustered.

They had been caught, this is true, but it was the fact they had been caught while Hotch had been showering her with uncharacteristic kisses that was Emily's main source of humiliation. Hotch wanted to laugh at Emily's shy smile; it seemed they had some explaining to do. Hotch squeezed Emily's hand reassuringly and turned to face his expecting teammates. Morgan cocked his eyebrow as the others paid Hotch rapt attention.

"I guess the cats out of the bag." Hotch began, ignoring the 'you think?' looks everyone shot him. They needed to cut him some slack here; other wise Hotch was going to have a hard time talking to them about his relationship with Emily. JJ saw the look on Hotch's face and saved him.

"How long?" she asked even though she had her own rough estimate.

"Just under two months" Emily replied calmly overlooking the stunned looks on Morgan and Reid's faces. What interested Emily were the identical looks of mild curiosity on JJ and Dave's faces. "How long have you known?" Emily asked them causing Hotch's eyes to dart immediately to the two in question.

"We didn't know exactly, just put two and two together a few weeks ago at the bar." Dave replied as JJ nodded. Emily and Hotch chewed that over as Morgan turned to look at Dave.

"You didn't think to inform me about this little development?" he asked motioning to Emily and Hotch.

"If you didn't already pick up on it I didn't see a reason to tell you Derek. You are a profiler after all." Dave replied then JJ jumped in, "Plus, they were bound to either slip up or break down and tell us eventually."

"Is it serious?" Morgan asked after shaking off Dave's words. Hotch and Emily exchanged looks before Hotch answered, "Yes." It was one word that carried more weight than they initially realized. The team wasn't shaken by his answer, they figured it was more than a fling by the way Hotch and Emily acted.

Reid had gotten over the initial shock and let his mind go over every moment he had observed between Emily and Hotch and felt his lips perk up in a small smile. He couldn't believe he hadn't picked up on it earlier…wait, yes he could. Things like that always went way over his head.

Dave chuckled as the realization came over Reid and Morgan just sighed; slightly annoyed that Emily and Hotch had kept such a secret for as long as they did. He also had the feeling that if the team hadn't caught Hotch kissing Emily that they would've continued to keep their relationship under wraps. Morgan guessed he couldn't blame them though, most relationships are better to develop without others constantly watching you and he knew if the team had known before hand the team would've watched Emily and Hotch like hawks.

Reluctantly, Morgan decided to let them off the hook this time. However, if they snuck off and got married or Emily got knocked up and they didn't tell the team immediately, he'd make their lives miserable.

Hotch saw the acceptance on everyone's faces and suddenly he didn't know why he had been so worried before. Of course the team wouldn't have a problem with him and Emily being together; Emily had told him that previously.

Emily closed her eyes briefly for when she moved a little it pulled at her stitches on her side. Hotch felt her move and saw the look of pain flash across her face; the others saw it as well.

"You should try and get some sleep Emily." Hotch said gently brushing his hand across her cheek. Now that the team knew, he saw no reason to not touch her the way he did when they were alone. It was great being able to be open in his affections with her. The team nearly chocked on their satisfaction at Hotch's gesture and JJ bit back her chuckle as Emily's eyes lit up at his touch.

"Do I have to?" Emily partly whine. She didn't want to close her eyes yet. Hotch smiled at her and nodded. Emily let out a sigh of disappointment but did as she was told. Before she closed her eyes completely though she looked at Hotch. "Jack…" she mumbled but Hotch quieted her.

"He knows, Jessica called me earlier with an update. He told me that when you get home he's gonna take care of you with me." Hotch said, his heart warming as he recalled his son's words. Emily's eyes watered and Hotch leaned in to kiss her forehead gently. Emily felt sleep claim her and soon she was out like a light.

It was quiet in Emily's room for a minute before Dave spoke. "She's good for you two."

Hotch turned around and saw the rest of the team had left them in peace. Leave it to Dave to stick around and have his say. Hotch was grateful for Dave's simple outlook on the situation though.

"She is." Hotch replied smiling softly at Emily and Dave, feeling he had what he wanted, left Hotch alone with Emily. He did laugh though as he realized Garcia was going to have a field day with this one.

- - - - - - -

Emily ached all over, but she was warm and content to just lay in her bed for a little while longer.

If it hadn't been for the fact Hotch was talking on his phone just loud enough for her to hear, Emily probably would've kept her eyes closed. Once he said Jack's name though her eyes flew open and she was instantly alert. Hotch saw Emily's startled response and grasped her hand tightly, conveying to her that it was okay. Emily relaxed a little until she heard Jack's loud protests on the other end of the phone.

Hotch sighed, "Jack Emily needs her rest right now." He had been at it for a while now trying to calm Jack down. He had gone to bed a little earlier than normal and had a nightmare that Emily didn't come back so he instantly called his daddy crying and saying he wanted to talk to Emmy. Hotch had to admit he had that nightmare a few times himself. He wasn't surprised that Jack had them as well; Emily had become an crucial part in both of their lives so much so, Jack had trouble sleeping if Emily didn't at least tell him goodnight.

Emily heard Jack say her name loudly and she automatically reached out to his voice. Hotch handed her the phone knowing it was the only way any of them were going to get rest tonight.

"Hey sweetie, it's okay don't cry." Emily said the second the phone was to her ear. Jack's cries quieted a little once he heard her voice, but he wanted her there with him. He didn't like his nightmares.

"I dreamed you went away like Mommy Emmy! Please don't go away." Jack cried barely registering the way Jessica rubbed his back.

She had only met Emily once, but she had seen how Jack interacted with her and was not surprised that he had grown so attached to Aaron's teammate. She had a feeling they were more, but she wasn't going to put her nose where it didn't belong. If Aaron was learning to love again then Jessica was happy; for both him and Jack.

Emily grasped Hotch's hand as she fought her tears. She hated being so far from the little boy who had wiggled his way in to her heart like his father. It hurt her to hear him cry, especially when he talked about his nightmares.

"Oh baby, I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Daddy's gonna bring me home with him and we can watch movies on the couch all day if you want to." Emily said trying to pacify Jack. Hotch smiled at Emily's ability to calm his son as well as himself with a few words.

"Will you come home soon? I miss you and Daddy a lot." Jack said feeling a little better at Emily's promise. Emily smiled and looked over at Hotch who quirked his head in interest.

"Of course sweetie. We'll be home before you know it." Emily replied and laughed at Jack's joyful exclamation. "Now sweetie, you need to go back to sleep okay?"

Jack didn't really want to go back to bed but he figured if he went to bed now the sooner Emmy and Daddy would be back home. "K Emmy, I love you." Jack said honestly, waiting for her to say it back.

This wasn't the first time Jack had said he loved Emmy, but it still struck her heart like lightning. "I love you too Jack, here's Daddy." Emily said, her voice wavered a little as she handed Hotch the phone.

"I love you too buddy, goodnight." Hotch said then after saying thank you to Jessica he hung up his phone and looked at Emily. Her eyes were shining with an unspoken love for Jack and a thankfulness to be alive. Emily hadn't really had time to digest the fact she had almost died and left Aaron and Jack. Emily turned to look at Hotch and he reached over and cupped her face.

"I thought I was going to lose you…" Hotch broke off when Emily leaned over, despite her stitches, and kissed him on his lips ever so lightly. He could feel her fear and tremendous happiness pouring through her kiss. She broke away and looked him dead in his intense eyes.

"I love you," she said sincerely, with no hesitation no doubt. She knew she loved him long ago, but she hadn't want to push him. Haley had only been gone about three months now; Emily was a little afraid that she said it a little too soon. She couldn't keep it bottled up anymore though, not after what happened earlier today. She wanted him to know how she felt just in case… Emily couldn't even bring herself to think about either of them dying right now.

Hotch felt his heart literally stop and then pick up in double time as he soaked up Emily's words. She loved him, Emily Prentiss loved him. He needed something to jumpstart his brain; it seemed almost impossible to believe. He saw the uncertainty creep into her eyes and he felt her withdraw from him as the seconds dragged on. He watched as she crawled back into the armored shell she used to defend herself and mentally slapped himself. He hadn't said it back yet.

She probably felt like he didn't reciprocate her feelings. Silly woman.

Emily was about to open her mouth and offer some kind of half hearted excuse for her words, but Hotch's kiss stopped her. She didn't feel like she made a mistake anymore as Hotch showed her just how much he loved her to his best ability. They were in a hospital after all and she was injured. Hotch broke away and smiled at her, flashing his two dimples.

"I love you too Emily." Hotch whispered then descended to claim her lips once more.

If it wasn't for the sudden wolf whistles and cheering, Hotch and Emily wouldn't have broken apart for quite some time. Hotch wiped around and attempted to glare at Morgan and the others, but the shadow of Emily's lipstick on his lips only made the team laugh louder.

Emily joined in and watched as they gathered around her bed, teasing her and Hotch blissfully. Emily faintly wondered how Garcia would enact her revenge for not telling her when they got back home.

"You both are in serious trouble with a certain technical goddess waiting for us to return." Morgan said as if he read her mind. Emily and Hotch cringed slightly and everyone's laughter crested until the doctor came in to see how his patient was doing.

"I see we seem to be in good spirits Miss Prentiss." Dr. Williams said looking over her chart and checking her vitals. "Yes it seems we are." Emily replied laughing as Hotch rolled his eyes.

"I was wondering, when do you think I can go home?" Emily asked anxious to get home to Jack as soon as humanly possible. Dr. Williams glanced around the room and once more at his chart. He was a little surprised at Emily's speedy recovery mentally and emotionally, not to mention her vitals were a lot better than he had been anticipating.

"I'll tell you what, I know you're FBI and that you got injured on a case. If you can promise me you'll take a week to two week medical leave, I'll let you go home tomorrow afternoon. You also have to go straight to your doctor's the second you have a chance tomorrow evening or the next day. Also, you'll need to pay careful attention to your stitches, I doubt you'll want to be re-stitched because you were messing around…" Dr. Williams trailed off, eyeing Emily and Hotch.

Emily blushed which caused Morgan to choke on the coffee he happened to be taking a sip of. His laughter prompted a darker shade of blush to appear on Emily's face.

'_No sex, got it loud and clear Dr. Williams, thanks_.' Emily thought chagrined. Hotch wrestled with his own flustered countenance and patted Emily's hand trying to hide his own disappointment in Dr. Williams' words.

"She'll be out of the field for a week-two depending on what her doctor at home says. She'll also be very careful with her stitches." Hotch said for Emily who was still a little embarrassed that her team, her family, had to listen to her doctor basically say 'no sex' out loud. Dr. Williams nodded his head and made a little note on Emily's chart. He left without many more words, much to Emily and Hotch's relief but once he left the team pounced on them, without mercy.

It was going to be a long couple of days, but Emily and Hotch received their teasing with good graces. They were too happy about their admissions of love and the fact Emily was alive to care about the teasing they would have to endure for a few weeks. Emily couldn't help but feel like with each comment the team said, they were secretly congratulating them and suddenly, it was worth it.

_Constant use will not wear ragged the fabric of friendship. _

_~Dorothy Parker_

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Ah, I can so see the team teasing Emily and Hotch. I smiled and laughed quite a bit while writing this chapter. I'd die of embarrassment if my doctor told me 'no sex' in front of all my friends. *laugh* I hope this put a smile on your faces everyone. Quick question...should there be wedding bells for our beloved couple? Let me know what you think, I'm curious as to what you all think.

Peace out.


	7. Hotch's Brilliant Idea

Hey everyone.

I'm sorry I didn't have this up yesterday. I plan to have the last chapter of this story up as well and I might continue this plot line with a 3rd story! (most likely because I have a lot of you telling me you want a wedding. This should be interesting)

Please enjoy and review!

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Emily didn't have much time to react when a small body slammed into her.

Hotch managed to steady Emily so she wouldn't fall backwards when Jack threw himself at her. The team watched amused as Emily fixed herself before lunging down to hold the excited boy in her arms. She was still sore, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from embracing Jack with all she had. She had missed him terribly and it was good to know he reciprocated her feelings.

Jack snuggled deeply into Emily's inviting arms and felt all anxiety leave his small frame once Emily nuzzled his face affectionately. Hotch put his arms around Emily's waist and nudged her into the building so they weren't blocking the doorway. Emily walked slowly, not wanting to aggravate her stitches anymore than she had when she bent over suddenly to pick up Jack. She'd probably need her doctor to check them out tomorrow afternoon.

The team gave Emily, Hotch, and Jack some privacy, as much as an open office would provide, and went to work on the inevitable paper work that followed every big case. Hotch was only coming in to fill out some forms that allowed Emily to take a few days off while recuperating from her injury. He hadn't known Garcia had gone to pick up Jack, but he was glad she did.

Emily made a move to sit down at her desk and winced a little much to Hotch's displeasure. She shouldn't have moved so quickly earlier; he had no doubt that she tugged at her stitches.

"I'll only be a few minutes." Hotch said to Emily who Jack was still clinging to. Emily smiled down at Jack then nodded to Hotch: She needed the rest anyway. Hotch quickly walked up to his office where the proper papers were waiting for him to sign off on.

Emily would be out for five days: He wanted her to take a full week but she insisted on only taking one work week. She told him that as long as she wasn't pulling a 'Morgan' and kicking down doors while tackling unsubs, there was no reason that she couldn't go to work. He had to agree with her there.

Hotch glanced up from the papers real quick and saw that Reid took it upon himself to distract Jack from Emily while she took a few deep breaths and grasped her side. Hotch saw the concern clearly on the young genius's face, but he didn't hover over Emily which Hotch knew was one of the reason's she and Reid got along so well. Reid knew, sometimes better than he did, what Emily needed. Emily shot Reid a grateful glance as Jack paid him his undivided attention.

Hotch signed his John Hancock real quick before grabbing his stuff and shutting his office door. JJ popped up magically on his left side, seemingly coming from Dave's office, and took the papers from him before rushing off to file them. Hotch had to admire her efficiency for a second before continuing his journey to Emily and Jack.

Emily looked so relieved to see him it made Hotch's heart skip a beat. She was clearly exhausted, but she wasn't going to let Jack see that, especially when the little boy was clearly not going to let her out of his sight any time soon. "Lets go home." Hotch said brushing Emily's shoulder. She nodded faintly and stood up, letting Jack sit on her good hip. Reid said his goodbyes and smiled, happy for Emily and Hotch.

Hotch let his hand rest on Emily's lower back and together they left Quantico for a well deserved night off.

- - - - - - -

Emily was dozing when Hotch slipped into bed next to her.

She turned around and rested her head on his solid chest, reveling in it's warmth. Hotch wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to squeeze her too tight. He had just put Jack down to bed, he figured the couch wasn't the best place for any of them to sleep. True to her words, the second they got home Emily let Jack pick a movie and together they all got comfy on the couch for a movie and a half before Jack fell asleep on Emily.

Emily wanted to put him down, but after she flinched while getting off the couch Hotch told her she needed to go lay down. He didn't want her stressing her body anymore than needed. Emily huffed and complained that her injury didn't make her some invalid who couldn't even tuck a little boy in, but she heeded Hotch's words and crashed in his bed. She inhaled his scent and felt the tension leave her body seconds before she began to doze. She hadn't realized how tired she had been.

"You still awake?" Hotch asked after a few silent minutes ticked by. Emily yawned. "I am now." Emily joked rubbing Hotch's chest. Hotch chuckled and let his hand run up and down her arm, barely touching her skin. It was a perfect moment, but Emily could tell Hotch was a million miles away. He had been pondering over something ever since they got home and Emily was quite curious as to what thought was holding her boyfriends hostage.

"Hey, what's going on up there?" Emily asked rotating a little so she could tap on his head. Hotch's smile didn't reach his eyes and Emily was instantly alert. She sat up all the way, much to her body and Hotch's protests. She really shouldn't be twisting and moving so rapidly in her state. Emily took a deep breath and let her hand fall to her right side, placing little pressure where Eric's bullet had penetrated.

God she felt like a fool for not seeing through his attempts to get her alone. His little renegade revenge trip was supposed to end with the first woman who broke his heart; her. She grimaced as she remembered Eric standing over her with the gun pointed at her; honestly Emily had been afraid. It was a good thing Hotch was a good shot.

Hotch saw her eyes darken and figured her mind wasn't far from where his was. He wanted to distract her so he interrupted her thoughts with something he had been chewing over for a few days now.

"I think you should move in." Hotch said watching as Emily's eyes jerked down to his in shock. Clearly that came somewhere out of left field and certainly managed to deter Emily from her previous train of thought.

"What?" Emily said completely thrown off track with Hotch's out of the blue statement. Hotch repeated himself and patiently waited for Emily's answer. He could tell by the way her eyes glazed over that she was compiling her list of pros and cons and he resisted the urge to role his eyes. He didn't see any drawbacks to his plan, but he kept quiet while Emily attempted to find some.

Well, Emily was a little surprised. She hadn't thought they had reached that stage in their relationship yet. Hell, they had only been dating for two months!

However, they had unknowingly been dating for much longer than that. Emily had spent more time with Hotch these past few months than she had realized. Most of her wardrobe was in his closet and her favorite books and movies had made their way into his living room.

Emily actually liked the idea of coming straight home with him and not worrying about if she had a clean outfit ready for the next day. She knew his apartment like the back of her hand and if she moved in she could see Jack everyday. It wouldn't be like they couldn't tell the team either: In fact maybe they could help her move in.

Hotch saw that she was losing a battle he never intended on letting her wiggle her way out of. He didn't think she'd find any down sides to his brilliant idea and he was glad she didn't. Emily saw the triumphant look in Hotch's eyes and surrendered. Hotch smiled and carefully pulled her down into his arms. Emily laughed and snuggled deep into his embrace.

Her previous thoughts were forgotten as Emily imagined what it would be like living together. What would Jack have to say about it? Emily bit her lower lip in concern and Hotch looked at her, questions lurking in his eyes. It seemed she had found a bump in his plan and he felt the joy slide from his body as he felt the tension return to her body.

Emily sighed. "What will we tell Jack? How do you think he'll react?" she asked still gnawing on her lip. Hotch's eyes widened in understanding and he began to think about what his son would say.

"Well he always talks about you, and he always complains when you're not around. He sleeps better when you've tucked him in and he always gets excited when I tell him you'll be coming over. The way I see it, Jack would be overjoyed if you were a permanent resident here with us." Hotch said honestly staring into Emily's dark eyes.

He had her in the palm of his hand and he was loving it. The second he started listing all the reasons Jack wanted her around he knew she'd raise no more excuses for not moving in. Emily relaxed in Hotch's arms once more and nuzzled his chest affectionately. He was right, something Emily would not tell him willingly; her moving in was a great idea.

"I like you logic Agent Hotchner" Emily said, her voice muffled by his shirt. Hotch's chest shook with laughter. "It is undeniable you know," he said kissing her forehead.

Emily knew these next few days would be big days for them; she figured the sooner she could move in the better. She also knew that the team was going to have fun teasing her as they helped her move. She really needed to find some new friends.

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The last chapter will be longer than this, I promise. Honestly I hadn't really made up my mind where this chapter was going as I was writing it. The last chapter will be Emily moving in and a lot of team family stuff. If I do a 3rd story it will be a wedding thing and maybe a baby fic (depending on your responses to my ideas) I hope you'll give me some ideas to run with as well.

Peace out.


	8. Just The Beginning

Hey everyone.

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. I've spent the last two days wrapped up in CM season 4 (yes!) and finally decided it was time to finish this story! I might be taking a few days off from writing so I can get some needed school work done, but fret not. I won't be gone long. With the holidays almost over it'll be easier for me to find time to write and get school work done because my parents go back to work tomorrow.

Please enjoy this last chapter and review.

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_Where we love is home –_

_home that our feet may leave,_

_but not our hearts._

_~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr._

_- - - - - - _

"Jesus Emily, what do you have in here? Concrete bricks?" Derek Morgan complained as he dropped the box in his arms on Hotch's wooden floor.

"No Derek, they're books: Maybe you should crack one open once in a while." Emily responded, smiling at the laughter she heard from Reid not far behind Derek.

"Ha, ha, ha." Morgan said sarcastically and gently pushed Emily out of his way so he could help Dave. For someone who rarely bought anything, Emily sure had a lot of stuff. Emily stumbled, but Hotch caught her arm before she was able to trip over the box he had just put down. Although Hotch was no weakling, he had to admit Emily had some heavy boxes.

He could hear the peals of laughter from Jack and Henry as JJ entertained the boys in Jack's room. Moving Emily into his apartment was a team effort.

"Clear the doorway." Dave's voice was heard so Emily and Hotch quickly moved out of the way as Dave and Morgan came through the door carrying a large bookcase Emily had insisted on bringing with her. Hotch thought quickly and pointed for Dave to put it on the wall to the right of his TV. If push came to shove and they didn't like it there at the end of the day, he and Emily could find somewhere else to put it.

"I'm getting too old for this." Dave grumbled. Emily and the others laughed and she shook her head.

"Dave, don't tell me a little bit of furniture moving has got you ready to throw the towel in." Emily joked moving slightly to dodge the playful swat Dave directed at her.

"Chasing unsubs is one thing Emily. Letting you crack the whip as we move all your stuff is another." Dave replied and he hit Morgan on the arm, signaling for them to go back to the moving truck.

Morgan nodded and followed the older man out the door, almost running right into Reid who had left to see how many more boxes there were. Emily shook her head and quickly got to moving some of her boxes into Hotch's room.

Morgan came back quickly and dropped another box on the floor, smirking as Reid jumped away to avoid it being dropped on his foot.

"How about some mercy Emily. Break time?" Morgan asked, desperately needing some fluids in his system.

Emily returned to the living room and surveyed the damage. They only had an armful of boxes left in the moving van if Emily's calculations were correct. She raked her eyes over the exhausted frame of Dave as he came through the door with three more boxes. She looked over and saw the sweat on Hotch and on Reid's foreheads and gave in. She wasn't that cruel to begrudge her guys a nice lunch break.

Before Emily could tell the guys to relax there was a knock on Hotch's door frame.

"Thought my mighty movers could use some food. Knowing Emily she'd work you 'til you dropped." Garcia said holding up a few bags of what looked like fast food.

"You are a saint baby girl." Morgan said and rushed over to relieve Garcia of the food she carried in both arms. Garcia just laughed and walked in to place the remainder of food on Hotch's dining room table. "I'll grab the drinks" Garcia said after Morgan returned to her side and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

JJ came in with Henry on her hip and Jack by her side. Jack quickly rushed to Emily who picked the little boy up before he could run into her legs. Due to her stitches, Emily was unable to do much of the heavy lifting during the move, but she didn't consider Jack heavy lifting. Jack giggled when Emily began to attack him with kisses and he tried to escape her clutches, but it was in vain: She was too strong.

Hotch watched as his team dug into the food Garcia had provided at the perfect moment and felt a warm smile thrive on his thin lips. Emily and Jack's laughter washed over everyone and caused laughter to echo their own.

Jack talked to Reid and Emily put the little boy on his lap. Reid didn't look startled, but did wrap a secure arm around Jack's waist to prevent him from falling off. JJ fed Henry as she talked lightly to Dave who was enjoying his French fries. Garcia returned with the drinks and was ambushed by Morgan who had already finished his first sandwich. She laughed as he said something to her and pushed him lightly out of the way so she could grab some grub.

Emily grabbed Hotch's hand and pulled him towards the food as his stomach growled.

"You know now that she'll be living here you'll have virtually no privacy." Dave said as Hotch took a bite of his chicken sandwich. Hotch looked over at Emily who was talking with Reid and Jack and nodded. Dave was right, but it didn't bother him in the slightest.

"Dave, I wouldn't even attempt to give Hotch any grief or advise about his relationship with Emily if I were you." JJ said smiling at the older men. Dave scoffed but held out his hand so he could take Henry's bottle as she burped him. Hotch chuckled at the look JJ shot Dave but raised an eyebrow at the bottle in Dave's hand.

"I'm not going to give him grief or advise…" Dave protested but Emily walked over and interrupted him.

"Corrupting my boyfriend Dave?" she asked playfully winking at Hotch. Dave threw his hands up in a huff. "I just can't win with these two." Dave said exasperated.

Emily and JJ laughed but Emily put a sympathetic hand on Dave's arm. "And you never will," she said smiling as Dave resigned to his fate and quirked his lips up in a half smile. Women.

"Did you see how many boxes were left Reid?" Hotch asked as the genius finished with a story he had been telling his son. Reid looked up and thought for a millisecond. "Five." Reid replied and took a sip of the tea Garcia had brought him.

"Most of them should be clothes." Emily said throwing her trash in the garbage. Morgan and Hotch were already out the door by the time Emily returned to her spot next to Dave and JJ.

"Leave it to a woman to have majority of her boxes be filled with clothes." Dave teased and laughed when Emily lightly smacked his chest. Morgan returned with two boxes and Hotch followed with the remaining three. What he failed to see was the little box of toys Jack had left out earlier that he had forgotten to move. Ironic thing was he had previously stated that he needed to grab Jack's box before someone got hurt.

As Hotch went down, Morgan released the boxes in his arms and turned to help Hotch before he hit the cold hardwood floor. There was the sound of glass things breaking in the boxes that managed to fly out of Hotch's arms but Morgan caught him before he fell on them and caused more damage. There was a moment of great pause in the apartment until Emily rushed to Hotch's side as Morgan righted his boss.

"Aaron, are you okay?" she asked running her hand over Hotch's face as a comforting and yet panicked gesture. Reid and Dave moved over to ascertain the damage done to whatever Emily had in her boxes as JJ and Garcia stood with Jack and Henry. Jack looked at his daddy worriedly, but he knew he was okay because Emily was taking care of him.

"I'm fine Emily, but I don't think whatever was in your box is." Hotch said wincing as he saw the upset expression on her face. He hoped he didn't break anything too valuable.

Reid took the knife Dave offered him and opened the box. Not really thinking, he reached in and immediately drew his hand back. "Ouch!" Reid exclaimed and Emily saw he had managed to cut his finger. Something was broken alright. "Nice going genius boy." Morgan said rolling his eyes and went to go grab a band-aid for Reid.

"Guess even Reid has his moments." Dave said as Emily crouched down to see what had broken. She took a quick look at Reid's finger first and he assured Emily he was fine. She shook her head affectionately at her young friend and Reid left her side as Morgan told him to get over to where he was. Garcia scolded Reid for not thinking twice before sticking his hand in a box as she treated his cut. He felt like a kid again.

"Sweetheart, what broke?" Hotch asked bending down next to her. Emily carefully moved the packing peanuts around, she knew she should've put more in the box, and saw something that broke her heart. Deep down she knew it wasn't that big of a deal, but still. That picture frame had cost her a pretty penny.

"A picture frame I found one day while we were on a case. It's no big deal." Emily said but everyone could clearly hear in her voice that it was a big deal. Morgan brought over a dust pan and a garbage bag, which Emily thanked him for.

Emily cleaned out the box and Hotch went to go put the other breakable items somewhere safe for the time being. He felt really bad about breaking such a beautiful picture frame Emily obviously cared about.

Garcia was digging through her bag when Hotch returned. "I was going to save this for another occasion, but I figure now is as good a time as any," she said and handed Emily a small gift. "Consider it a house warming gift."

Emily took it and smiled as Hotch stood next to her with Jack in his arms. She wasted no time unwrapping her gift and she gasped as she saw what it was.

A picture, a picture of her, Aaron, and Jack at the park. The picture frame itself was beautiful and had 'family' engraved in the dark blue marble at the very top. The silver metal designs on the side looked like entwining vines. Hotch and Jack smiled and Hotch kissed Emily's forehead as Jack reached over and hugged her neck.

"I knew you'd like it." Garcia said as the team gathered around Emily, Hotch, and Jack.

"I love it Garcia. Thank you, all of you." Emily said looking up from the picture at her family as they smiled at her. They didn't say much for a while, but no words were needed. Emily leaned into Hotch's body and couldn't help but feel like this was just the beginning to a lifetime of more amazing moments with the people she loved.

- - - - - -

_And thank you for a house full of people I love._

_Amen._

_~Ward Elliot Hour _

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I think that was a very fitting end to this story. I am going to be writing a 3rd story in this arc, but I don't know when I'll be getting around to it. I've gotten lots of feedback about what the next story will be about so I'm proud (and happy) to say there will be wedding bells at one point! *cheers*

As I was watching all of season 4 (from start to finish) over these past two days I realized just how much I want Emily and Hotch to get together! I noticed how often they sat together and all the times Hotch said "Prentiss, you're with me..." I was like 'OMG, it's so meant to be!' And every time he'd call her Emily I'd squeal. Not to mention the looks they'd give each other! Yes, I am aware that I need help, thank you very much. I really want season 5 but unfortunately I have to wait. (drat)

Oh well, I hope you enjoyed my story.

Peace out.


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